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American Morning

Terrorist Link?

Aired January 22, 2004 - 07:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's being promoted as a night of solidarity with Iran, designed to raise money for survivors of the devastating earthquake there last month. But a congressman from Ohio is raising a red flag about the event this weekend in Washington. Republican Bob Ney says the organizers have ties to terrorism, and he's asking the attorney general to investigate.
In just a moment, we're going to hear from one of those organizers.

But first, Representative Ney joins us from Washington, D.C.

Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for being with us.

REP. BOB NEY (R), OHIO: Hi, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: You said that you think terrorists are involved in this event. What evidence do you have of that?

NEY: Well, yes, that's correct. First of all, I want to say that we support the earthquake victims. I supported President Bush giving the relief. I support the wonderful hundreds of thousands of Iranian-Americans in this country that are helping. But I want to make it clear. The Red Cross is not participating in this event. People that were listed as participants have denied they are going to do that.

This is the MEK. They're using front groups. They are an official terrorist group. The same names that we have discovered that were involved with MEK and Miriam Rajbi (ph), their leader, who has been arrested in Paris with $8 million in $100 bills, her husband was in Chemical Ali's house in Baghdad. They are located from Baghdad. And as we understand it, many, many people have headed from Baghdad to Europe to D.C. for this event.

O'BRIEN: Let me jump in here for one second and just say that I want you to know that the organizers have said, while MEK is an organization that's very popular in Iran, that they can't control if some members of MEK come to this event; that, in fact, what you're saying is not true, that organizers are not MEK members. So, what's your proof, I guess would be my question?

NEY: Well, we have the proof, because the organizations that are controlled by MEK, Miriam Rajbi (ph), Ali Rasojef Razadi (ph), who headed the group in Virginia for a long time, the same people are involved in this. They're going to have pictures of Miriam Rajbi (ph). Would we accept Osama bin Laden's pictures on the Mall of the Capitol? I don't think so.

I support money to earthquake victims. This is a front group. We have the proof. We've turned it into the attorney general.

O'BRIEN: What is the attorney general...

NEY: And, by the way, this is a recognized terrorist group by the European Union, by President Clinton and President Bush. They'll tell you we support the mullahs in Iran. That's ridiculous. We support democracy. They are a terrorist group, and there is no such thing as a good terrorist.

O'BRIEN: As you mentioned, you've sent a letter of to the attorney general, Ashcroft. What's the response, and what has he said?

NEY: Well, we expect he'll look into it. In August of 2003, the Justice Department raided their headquarters, shut them down, and made it illegal for anyone to, in any way, raise money or participate in raising money with these groups.

And that's why, with the MEK in here, I think the MEK has duped, frankly, some probably innocent people that really want to do the right thing here. But with the MEK involved, this is terrorist organization, which was proclaimed terrorists, once again, by the Bush administration, by President Clinton, by the European Union, if they're involved in this, it's just a way to sift money, I think, to Miriam Rajbi (ph) and also her husband, who was involved with Chemical Ali, Saddam Hussein' cousin.

O'BRIEN: Congressman Bob Ney, joining us this morning, from Ohio.

NEY: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much for your time. Appreciate it.

Let's turn now to Shirin Nariman. She is with the Iranian- American Community of Northern Virginia, and she joins us from Washington as well.

Good morning. Thanks for being with us.

Obviously, you just heard what the congressman had to say. How do you respond to his charges?

SHIRIN NARIMAN, IRANIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA: Well, I don't know where Congressman Ney brought -- have all of this information, but absolutely not. This is a fund-raising that is being sponsored by Iranian-American communities, different Iranian-American communities, all around the United States. And it's to show and is intended to support earthquake victims of Bam, and also to call up a referendum for a regime change in Iran. And that's where we stand.

We have nothing to do with MEK now. MEK has many supporters in Iran and abroad. And supporters -- if supporters are attending, then there is nothing that we can do (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: But none of the organization, none of the leadership, none of the money will be funneled in any way to MEK, you're saying?

NARIMAN: Not at all. This event was not an MEK fund-raising event. This was a night for solidarity with Iranian victims of the earthquake of Bam, and also all of those Iranians that are calling up a referendum and a regime change in Iran. This is a night of solidarity with Iranian people all together.

O'BRIEN: You are charging $35 per ticket. How much money are you expecting to raise from this event?

NARIMAN: Not very much. Frankly, we have been really using our own money to fund this event. So, I don't know where the congressman got the $140,000 of money that it would be raised and would be given to these -- to any organizations.

O'BRIEN: So, I'm confused. Is it a fund-raiser, or are you...

NARIMAN: No, no, there is no fund-raising at all. This is not a fund-raising. This is, you know, we have a ticket, we have expenses. You know, it is in convention center. We have a number of artists, that there are -- you know, the Gypsy King is attending. And, you know, they have expenses. So, the only reason that we are selling these tickets is just to pay the expenses, but absolutely no fund- raising.

O'BRIEN: So, at the end of the day, you don't expect to raise any money for any of the victims of the earthquake in Bam?

NARIMAN: Not at all. Not at all.

O'BRIEN: All right, Shirin Nariman, thanks for being with us this morning. We appreciate your time. Thank you.

NARIMAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired January 22, 2004 - 07:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's being promoted as a night of solidarity with Iran, designed to raise money for survivors of the devastating earthquake there last month. But a congressman from Ohio is raising a red flag about the event this weekend in Washington. Republican Bob Ney says the organizers have ties to terrorism, and he's asking the attorney general to investigate.
In just a moment, we're going to hear from one of those organizers.

But first, Representative Ney joins us from Washington, D.C.

Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for being with us.

REP. BOB NEY (R), OHIO: Hi, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: You said that you think terrorists are involved in this event. What evidence do you have of that?

NEY: Well, yes, that's correct. First of all, I want to say that we support the earthquake victims. I supported President Bush giving the relief. I support the wonderful hundreds of thousands of Iranian-Americans in this country that are helping. But I want to make it clear. The Red Cross is not participating in this event. People that were listed as participants have denied they are going to do that.

This is the MEK. They're using front groups. They are an official terrorist group. The same names that we have discovered that were involved with MEK and Miriam Rajbi (ph), their leader, who has been arrested in Paris with $8 million in $100 bills, her husband was in Chemical Ali's house in Baghdad. They are located from Baghdad. And as we understand it, many, many people have headed from Baghdad to Europe to D.C. for this event.

O'BRIEN: Let me jump in here for one second and just say that I want you to know that the organizers have said, while MEK is an organization that's very popular in Iran, that they can't control if some members of MEK come to this event; that, in fact, what you're saying is not true, that organizers are not MEK members. So, what's your proof, I guess would be my question?

NEY: Well, we have the proof, because the organizations that are controlled by MEK, Miriam Rajbi (ph), Ali Rasojef Razadi (ph), who headed the group in Virginia for a long time, the same people are involved in this. They're going to have pictures of Miriam Rajbi (ph). Would we accept Osama bin Laden's pictures on the Mall of the Capitol? I don't think so.

I support money to earthquake victims. This is a front group. We have the proof. We've turned it into the attorney general.

O'BRIEN: What is the attorney general...

NEY: And, by the way, this is a recognized terrorist group by the European Union, by President Clinton and President Bush. They'll tell you we support the mullahs in Iran. That's ridiculous. We support democracy. They are a terrorist group, and there is no such thing as a good terrorist.

O'BRIEN: As you mentioned, you've sent a letter of to the attorney general, Ashcroft. What's the response, and what has he said?

NEY: Well, we expect he'll look into it. In August of 2003, the Justice Department raided their headquarters, shut them down, and made it illegal for anyone to, in any way, raise money or participate in raising money with these groups.

And that's why, with the MEK in here, I think the MEK has duped, frankly, some probably innocent people that really want to do the right thing here. But with the MEK involved, this is terrorist organization, which was proclaimed terrorists, once again, by the Bush administration, by President Clinton, by the European Union, if they're involved in this, it's just a way to sift money, I think, to Miriam Rajbi (ph) and also her husband, who was involved with Chemical Ali, Saddam Hussein' cousin.

O'BRIEN: Congressman Bob Ney, joining us this morning, from Ohio.

NEY: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much for your time. Appreciate it.

Let's turn now to Shirin Nariman. She is with the Iranian- American Community of Northern Virginia, and she joins us from Washington as well.

Good morning. Thanks for being with us.

Obviously, you just heard what the congressman had to say. How do you respond to his charges?

SHIRIN NARIMAN, IRANIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA: Well, I don't know where Congressman Ney brought -- have all of this information, but absolutely not. This is a fund-raising that is being sponsored by Iranian-American communities, different Iranian-American communities, all around the United States. And it's to show and is intended to support earthquake victims of Bam, and also to call up a referendum for a regime change in Iran. And that's where we stand.

We have nothing to do with MEK now. MEK has many supporters in Iran and abroad. And supporters -- if supporters are attending, then there is nothing that we can do (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: But none of the organization, none of the leadership, none of the money will be funneled in any way to MEK, you're saying?

NARIMAN: Not at all. This event was not an MEK fund-raising event. This was a night for solidarity with Iranian victims of the earthquake of Bam, and also all of those Iranians that are calling up a referendum and a regime change in Iran. This is a night of solidarity with Iranian people all together.

O'BRIEN: You are charging $35 per ticket. How much money are you expecting to raise from this event?

NARIMAN: Not very much. Frankly, we have been really using our own money to fund this event. So, I don't know where the congressman got the $140,000 of money that it would be raised and would be given to these -- to any organizations.

O'BRIEN: So, I'm confused. Is it a fund-raiser, or are you...

NARIMAN: No, no, there is no fund-raising at all. This is not a fund-raising. This is, you know, we have a ticket, we have expenses. You know, it is in convention center. We have a number of artists, that there are -- you know, the Gypsy King is attending. And, you know, they have expenses. So, the only reason that we are selling these tickets is just to pay the expenses, but absolutely no fund- raising.

O'BRIEN: So, at the end of the day, you don't expect to raise any money for any of the victims of the earthquake in Bam?

NARIMAN: Not at all. Not at all.

O'BRIEN: All right, Shirin Nariman, thanks for being with us this morning. We appreciate your time. Thank you.

NARIMAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.